The Seeker, the Surveyor, and the Teller: An Approach to the Craft
As people, we hold a naturally inherent ability to tell a story. Of course, some will excel at it and those who will be unrefined novices. The next great novelist and the shopper relating their week to the grocery store clerk are both flexing their skills of story-crafting. A story is much as an art as it is a tool.
In college, I learned much about the art and nature of storytelling, mythology, and rhetoric. The realm of academia is labyrinthine, with thousands of existing thoughts, disciplines, and theories of how to analyze novels, films, or pieces of art. Approaches and techniques are just as plentiful, and entire classes and curriculums are created.
The title of Story Seeker, Surveyor, Teller came from the idea of having to fulfill three roles in my pursuit of understanding how and why we tell stories. The three roles became a grounded approach, an illustration, of how to craft a good story. These roles offer a consecutive three-step process, but they also serve as a diagram of the symbiosis of the relationships. One cannot get ahead or skimp on a step, in the hope of finishing quickly. Alternatively, think of three roles as people on a job site or a committee. Each role refers to the specialization of the other and adapts as the details and needs of a project change, in constant communication with one another:
THE SEEKER
In other words, always be searching. Always search for what is outside of your understanding and your typical interests. With all the media out there, gems are prone to be overlooked.
If you are into Drama, check out a Comedy. If you like Adventure, try Horror. If you like a modern serialized series, attempt one of the classic novels. If you like big-budget fare, investigate an interesting indie film, or a foreign film (definitely watch foreign films). Ingest the bad, and poorly crafted stories, too. In all of them, there is an opportunity to find or learn something new.
Seek what makes them so appealing to you as well. It won’t always be apparent as to why something clicks with you. That means searching for the foundations and influences of what you discover. With each new thing found, you can begin to cultivate a library of ideas and tales. Then it will be time to look critically at what you have found.
The SURVEYOR
Just like the occupation, you must mark out and research the land after you have found it. It is a process, with every tool needed at your disposal to measure and assess all points of a place’s geography and boundaries. Borrow the methods of scientific study for this: test and retest your ideas. Measure twice, even thrice.
When this role is neglected, it is painfully apparent. Tropes and conventions can be utilized well, and all the formulas can be there, but a story can still ring hollow. Using movies as an example, I can think of many multimillion-dollar films with high production values that suffer from the same incoherent plots as cheap amateur movies. It is a testament to misplaced priorities and having poorly regarded your artistic and social “landscape”.
Read critiques, notes from authors, commentaries—it puts things into perspective; realize that art doesn’t come from a magical realm out of thin air but from our thoughts.
THE TELLER
A great story still needs life breathed into it. Tales need intent, personality, purpose. Any type of story can be done with sincerity and panache, even the lightest of fare.
The Storyteller may be the most complex of the three roles as it requires a marriage of two sub-roles: think of a judge and a magician. You must determine what should be expressed and when. An artful storyteller senses when to withhold and when to reveal. They will know of the careful sequencing of moments or choices of words that will create impact or awe.
Telling a story involves a possible risk as well– putting your personality into the mix. Don’t rely on mere mimicry. A previous work that has already been scrutinized and deemed successful will always feel safer to copy, but telling a story is not about dictating facts but about telling an event with honesty. Honesty means telling others what you found of importance or excitement within the story, not just a list of facts.
That’s my take; my philosophy. Here’s hoping you take up the roles and make a ripping yarn.
